Gaming terminals, such as slot machines, video poker machines, and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. There are a variety of coin-operated and currency bill-operated gaming machines in widespread use. Historically, basic mechanical slot machines required players to insert coins or tokens to initiate the wagering game. The coins/tokens deposited by each player were traditionally stored in a coin hopper contained in the machine. Until recently, gaming machines paid out all winnings in coins.
In modern practice, most gaming machines are equipped to accept paper currency, such as cash notes (e.g. a United States $1, $5, $10, $20, $50 or $100 bills), and substitute currency media, such as casino script and cashout vouchers, collectively referred to herein as “currency documents”. As such, it has become increasingly common for manufacturers of gaming systems and devices to incorporate a currency processing mechanism into the gaming machine. The currency processing mechanism is often housed inside of the gaming machine, but may also be located externally in close proximity to the machine.
The currency processing mechanism allows a player to insert currency documents and substitute currency media directly into the gaming machine. Currency processing mechanisms receive currency, typically one sheet at a time, through an input slot. A transport mechanism transports the currency past one or more sensors which are employed, for example, to count, denominate, and/or authenticate the currency. Upon receipt of the currency and verification by the processing mechanism, the controller of the gaming machine issues credits based on the value of the deposited currency. If the scanned currency is determined to be authentic, it is transported to a bill hopper or cashbox for storage.
Some currency processing mechanisms are designed to store paper currency and function as a “payout device”, both accepting currency from a customer and returning currency to the customer for payouts. Alternatively, many gaming establishments have introduced “cashout” tickets or coupons, which substitute as cash. When a player wins a large sum of money, rather than paying out the entire winnings in cash, the machine will dispense a ticket or voucher, supplemented by coins. The ticket may be exchanged for money at a cash-vending kiosk or cashier's window, or used at other gaming machines in the establishment. In the latter instance, the deposited ticket is stored in the gaming machine, either in a dedicated hopper or along with validated paper currency in a single hopper or cashbox.
In many configurations, the currency receptacle is permanently attached to the gaming device; once accessed, the currency documents are simply removed from the machine. In other configurations, the currency receptacle is in the form of a removable and transportable cashbox or cassette. Conventionally, as the individual cashboxes reach a predetermined limit, casino staff are required to remove the filled cashbox, and replace it with an empty cashbox. The filled cashbox is taken to an accounting room where the box contents are counted, sorted, and stored. Typical prior art cashboxes are generally not designed for the most efficient storage, removal, and handling of collected currency.
State regulatory agencies, such as the Nevada Gaming Control Board, have placed stringent requirements on gaming establishments regarding the handling, counting, and distribution of money and coins. In addition, security is a major issue in the gaming industry, including the prevention of theft by visitors and employees of the establishment. Still further, money input to and extracted from each gaming machine must be tracked on a machine-by-machine basis to ensure proper operation of each gaming machine. Consequently, proper security mechanisms are necessary to comply with state regulations, to accommodate accounting measures, and to prevent illicit removal of the cashbox and the contents thereof.